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Blagojevich-amended mass transit bailout OK'd

Posted January 17, 2008 10:00 pm

Doug Finke

Illinois lawmakers Thursday gave final approval to a Chicago-area mass transit bailout that now will give free bus rides to many senior citizens across the state.

Both the House and Senate OK'd the bill even as legislators denounced Gov. Rod Blagojevich for adding the free-ride provision at the last minute. But faced with a Sunday deadline to approve the bill or see Chicago's transit systems cut services and raise fares, the General Assembly went along with the governor's amendatory veto.

The House voted 61-47 to accept Blagojevich's changes. The Senate vote was 32-19.

Lawmakers last week approved the bailout, House Bill 656, that calls for a small sales tax increase in the Chicago area served by its mass transit systems.

Blagojevich has steadfastly opposed any increase in the income or sales tax, but said he would accept this one as a way to solve mass transit's funding woes.

However, immediately after the bill passed last Thursday, Blagojevich said he would change it to give free rides to seniors. He said the change was necessary to blunt the impact of the sales tax hike on people 65 and older, many of whom have fixed incomes. Blagojevich's critics said he was trying to divert attention from breaking a campaign promise.

Rep. John Fritchey, D-Chicago, accused Blagojevich of "playing politics with people's lives" by changing the funding bill at the last minute and demanding that lawmakers approve the change to avert a mass transit crisis.

"I want nothing more than to vote 'no' on this," Fritchey said. "I am going to support it so as not to make the transit riders innocent victims of the governor's gamesmanship."

Fritchey said he will propose a constitutional amendment that would strip the governor of his ability to rewrite bills after they are passed by the General Assembly.

"If the governor is unable to play with his toys, we will take his toys away from him," he said.

Such an amendment is unlikely since both the House and Senate - where the president, Emil Jones, D-Chicago, is a Blagojevich ally - would have to OK it first in order for voters to get the chance.

Jones said lawmakers were angry only because they didn't think of the free-ride idea.

"Had it been included in the bill (originally), some of these same folks would have jumped up and praised it," Jones said.

Some lawmakers complained that seniors in their areas will not benefit from the free rides, which will be available only in areas that have fixed transit routes. Downstate, that generally means areas with regular bus service. Also, free rides are only available to seniors in areas where they live. For example, a senior in Springfield, Peoria or Rockford would not be entitled to free rides in Chicago.

Rep. Julie Hamos, D-Evanston, said she fears free rides for seniors is just the start.

"I am concerned there will be many other groups who will ask for free rides on mass transit," Hamos said. "There will be a whole bunch of other riders who also want to get a free ride."

The House Thursday also approved a bill that would limit the free rides to people who qualify for the state's circuit breaker program that provides breaks on property taxes and medicine to low-income seniors and the disabled. A single senior must make less than $22,218 a year to qualify.

The House passed the bill on a 86-22 vote, but it was not called in the Senate, even though several senators requested it.

"I'm for a means test, but let's make sure we're not cutting out a lot of people we want to help," Jones said. "I want to make sure it's right."

Blagojevich said he opposes setting limits on the free rides.

"I just don't think that is a well-thought-out proposal," he said. "I still think at the end of the day giving all senior citizens free public transportation is a very good thing."

Staff writer Adriana Colindres contributed to this report. Doug Finke can be reached at (217) 788-1527.

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